IIA Announces 2013-2014 Global Board of Directors

ORLANDO, FLORIDA, USA – The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) has announced the 2013-2014 board of directors and officers. The election took place at The IIA’s Annual Business Meeting on July 17, 2013.

“Our global board, which includes representatives from 19 countries, is essential to driving the strategic vision of The Institute worldwide,” says IIA President and CEO Richard Chambers, CIA, CGAP, CCSA, CRMA. “I look forward to working with this talented group of professionals during the coming year.”

All officers will serve their positions for a one-year term. Board members are elected for a two-year term. The following Executive Committee officers were named.

Chairman of the Board

Paul J. Sobel, CIA, CRMA, vice president and chief audit executive at Georgia-Pacific Corp. in Atlanta, was elected chairman. Sobel’s professional background includes serving as the chief audit executive for three public companies: Mirant Corp., an Atlanta-based energy company; Aquila, Inc., an energy company based in Kansas City, Mo.; and the publishing operations at Harcourt General in Orlando, Fla. Previously, he served as international audit manager for Pepsico, and senior and experienced manager in Arthur Andersen’s Business Risk Consulting and Financial Statement Assurance practices.

Sobel’s past IIA leadership positions are numerous and include most recently serving as senior vice chairman. He has held various positions on The IIA’s Board of Directors and has served as president of The IIA Research Foundation. He has also served on the Standing Advisory Group of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and as The IIA’s representative on the prestigious Pathways Commission, which developed recommendations to enhance the future of accounting education in the United States.

As chairman, Sobel will serve as a key spokesperson for The IIA. He will work to foster positive, mutually beneficial relationships between The IIA and other professional organizations. He will also be responsible for presiding at all meetings and appointing all committee chairmen and committee members, ad hoc committees, and task forces.

“The time has come for internal auditors to imagine our profession’s possibilities and begin taking giant steps toward realizing them,” says Sobel, referring to his chairman’s theme, “Imagine the Possibilities.” His many plans for the year include sharpening the board’s focus on risk, advancing advocacy, emphasizing certification, and identifying learning pathways with The IIA’s new Competency Framework. “I look forward during my tenure as chairman to hearing from creative members of our profession around the world about the possibilities they imagine,” he adds. (Click here to view the 2013-2014 Chairman’s video, “Imagine the Possibilities.”)

Senior Vice Chair

Anton van Wyk, CIA, CRMA, partner, Assurance Services for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Johannesburg, South Africa, has been elected senior vice chair. He will be responsible for working with vice chairmen to facilitate communication and coordination among IIA committees to drive the organization’s strategic activities. Van Wyk will oversee the Global Advocacy Committee, Global Ethics Committee, and Internal Auditing Academic Advancement Fund. He is poised to become IIA Chairman of the Board in 2014.

Vice Chair – Professional Certifications

Carolyn A. Dittmeier, CIA, CRMA, director of Internal Audit for Poste Italiane in Rome, has been elected vice chair of professional certifications. Dittmeier will direct the strategies of The IIA’s certification programs, which include exams for the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certification in Control Self-assessment (CCSA), Certified Government Auditing Professional (CGAP), Certified Financial Services Auditor® (CFSA), and Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA). She will also oversee the Professional Certifications Board and the Exam Development Committee.

Vice Chair – Professional Guidance

Lawrence J. Harrington, CIA, CRMA, vice president, Internal Audit at Raytheon in Waltham, Mass., has been elected vice chair of professional guidance. Harrington will oversee and coordinate the International Internal Audit Standards Board, the Professional Issues Committee, and the Public Sector Committee in developing guidance and issuing position papers on topics directly or indirectly affecting the internal audit profession.

Vice Chair – Global Services

Harold C. Silverman, CIA, vice president, Internal Audit for The Wendy’s Co. in Dublin, Ohio, has been elected vice chair of global services. Silverman will supervise and coordinate the global services committees to ensure The IIA provides the most relevant and comprehensive benefits possible to its membership. He will also oversee the Institute Relations Committee and the International Conference Committee.

Vice Chair – Research

Sharon T. Grant, CIA, CRMA, managing director, Corporate Audit for United Continental Holdings Inc., in Chicago, has been elected vice chair of research. Grant will also serve as the president of The IIA Research Foundation, providing strategic direction for research on the internal audit profession, and she will oversee the Research Foundation’s Board of Trustees and the Committee of Research and Education Advisors.

Vice Chair – Finance/Treasurer

Angela Witzany, CIA, CRMA, head of Internal Audit for Sparkassen Versicherung AG, VIG in Vienna, Austria, has been elected vice chairman of finance and treasurer . Witzany will oversee the establishment and maintenance of adequate controls for safeguarding the funds of The Institute and The Research Foundation. She will also oversee the Global Finance Committee as well as the Investment Committee.

Secretary

Lesedi Lesetedi, CIA, director of Internal Audit for Botswana International University of Science and Technology in Gaborone, Botswana, has been elected secretary. Lesetedi will be responsible for notifying The IIA’s Board of Directors of meetings and informing members of The Institute about general membership meetings. Additionally, she will be responsible for keeping records of all meetings and ensuring that both board and IIA members have ready access to all records.

Previous Chairmen

About The IIA

Established in 1941, The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is a global professional association for internal auditors around the world, with headquarters located in Altamonte Springs, Fla. The IIA serves more than 180,000 members from 190 countries by providing professional development, guidance, and certification.